All lectures and forums will be held at Hunter College, North Building on 69th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues (see map) in the Lang Recital Hall on the 4th floor.

The theater seats 150 people so tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets are $25 general admission ($30 at the door with check or cash, no credit cards), and $15 for students with ID. There will be a private reception held after most events which is $10 to attend. All tickets may be purchased online by credit card, by sending a check (address on the 'Contact Us' page) or by calling 888.606.2282.

Reflections On The Dolphin Mind Diana Reiss Dolphins are generally considered to be the second smartest animals on earth. They have a robust and multifaceted system of communications just as we do, they raise and teach their young the ways of their world as we do, and like humans, they have brains capable of empathy and altruism. These are amazing creatures and Diana Reiss has spent 25 years studying them. Her insight into the dolphin mind -- why they do what they do and what they are capable of -- is fascinating. Biographies>>

PREVIOUS LECTURES FROM THE

Do Animals Have Personality? Sam Gosling, Andrew Sih Moderator: Heather Berlin Curious or fearful, introverted or extroverted, negative or positive. These are all terms we might use to describe another human being's personality. But what about other species? Can they be described in the same terms? Are there differences in animal personalities among individuals, between different herds or groups, within families--and what does this mean for their survival? Do emotion, genetics and circumstance come into play in defining the personality of another species? Come to think of it -- what ARE personalities? Biographies>>

Eagles, Pigeons, Swine and Puppies: What people think about animal thinking. Michael Noonan, Robert Lurz, William Lynn Moderator: John Fraser How do people think about animals thinking? The words we use about animals speaks a great deal about how we care, and what we are willing to believe they know.  Social scientists and ethicists have spent a great deal of time considering what people believe about how animals think, the way our words teach us to respect animals or demean them because of what we want to believe about their ability to think. This round table discussion brings together four people who have researched the history, lore and practical implications of how the way we think about animals influences human behavior and what people are willing to believe about the study of animal thinking, and animals themselves. Biographies>>

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An Interview with Temple Grandin Temple Grandin Moderator: Jonathan Balcombe Temple Grandin is one of the most recognizable names in the studies of animal behavior. She is a doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. Grandin is a philosophical leader of both the animal welfare and autism advocacy movements. Both movements commonly cite her work regarding animal welfare, neurology, and philosophy. In 2010, she was the subject of an award-winning biographical film, Temple Grandin, and in the same year, she was listed in the Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world in the "Heroes" category. Biographies>>

Communication: What can animals tell us? Chris Clark, Katy Payne Moderator: Diana Reiss All animals need to communicate, and the myriad ways that have evolved to do this are fascinating. In fact, we can learn a lot about how and why we developed our own language system by understanding how other species have evolved their own. Some species communicate with sound, others by smell, gesture, magnetism, facial expression, electricity or bioluminescence. Many, including us, communicate with a combination of different senses and affects. Unfortunately, it’s just our bad luck that we haven’t figured out a way to understand what the others are saying. However, large strides have been made in the past several years to bridge this gap and the results are often amazing, not to mention humorous. Biographies>>

Chicken Tales Joseph Barber, Marc Hauber Who would have guessed that an animal that we take so for granted has such a rich a history with us, is so unique and is as intelligent as it is? Chickens make great pets, they talk to each other while still in the egg, they have a sense of time, recognize their friends and can run up to 9 miles per hour. Some are exotically beautiful. It’s time to reconsider these unsung birds. Biographies>>

Sharing Emotional Worlds Jonathan Balcombe, Marc Bekoff, Jaak Pankseep Moderator: Mark Moffett If animals think, can we afford to say that they don't feel; that they don't have emotions? Utilizing sophisticated research methodologies, scientists have been able to look into the brain to understand the basis and existance of animal's emotional responses. Now, advances in the use of fMRIs and sophisticated research methodologies have allowed scientists to look into the brain and study the behavior of other species in an effort to understand the basis and existence of their emotional responses. Biographies>>

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So, You Think You Know Your Dog? Alexandra Horowitz, Evan Maclean, James Serpel, Steve Zawistowski Moderator: Don Moore How much do we really understand about dogs? They've lived with us for millennia but we still don't understand them as well as they understand us, and we're just beginning to understand what incredible roles they play in our lives. What more is there to learn about our best friends? Biographies>>

The ALEX Project: Learning From a Bird Brain Irene Pepperberg Moderator: Diana Reiss Before the ALEX Project we had no idea what went on inside of a parrot's brain. ALEX and his teacher, scientist Irene Pepperberg changed the way the world understood what it meant to be a 'bird brain'. ALEX, a beautiful African Grey, expressed his wishes, scolded the people in the lab as well as his avian colleagues, understood the concept of zero, made up words, teased his teachers, and generally acted as if there was no hierarchy between the 2 species. ALEX had a unique and strong personality which he shared which all who would listen. Irene and ALEX were an amazing team. Biographies>>

Living in Alien Worlds Jelle Atema, Tim Goldsmith, Katy Payne, Stim Wilcox Moderator: Carl Zimmer Animals experience their worlds in ways we cannot understand—with senses we have lost long ago or never had. They define their worlds with exquisite senses of smell and hearing, with vision that sees what we can't imagine, or with responses to chemical or electromagnetic properties that we are insensitive to. By these yard sticks, many animals are far smarter than we are. Biographies>>

Exploring Creative Minds Marc Bekoff, Dorothy Fragaszy, Kevin McGowan, Diana Reiss; Moderator: Stuart Firestein The traditional definition of creativity includes the ability to solve problems, the use of intuition and the evidence of insightful perception to reach a solution. By these or any standards, many animals are indeed creative in their ability to achieve novel solutions to the challenges that are presented to them—both in their own environments and in the unfamiliar ones presented by scientists. Biographies>>

reThinking Animals David B. Edelman. James L. Gould, Dale Jamieson, Irene M. Pepperberg; Moderater: Diana Reiss The question of animal sentience, self-awareness and intelligence would have been heresy in the scientific community 50 years ago when animals were considered mere automatons--their behavior genetically hard-wired. But the possibility that they make choices, have emotions and create unique cultural identities has received a lot more attention in the past 15 years. While it is still controversial, there is growing evidence that many animals are much smarter and more sophisticated than we knew—and that brings up some difficult issues. Biographies>>